Community Calendar

The Cortez Journal encourages people to submit announcements about upcoming events for the Community Calendar. Send announcements to news@cortezjournal.com. Items submitted at least two weeks in advance will have a better chance of getting published; items submitted several days before the event might not get published. For more information, call the Journal at 565-8527.

Winter Concert for Harp, Organ and Flute at St. Barnabas Church

Join us for a Winter Concert: Harp - Organ - Flute on Saturday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m. at St. Barnabas Church (corner of North and Elm). Jessica Peterson (flutist from Pagosa Springs), her mother, Anita Briggs (harpist from New York), and Nancy Colbert (organist at St. Barnabas) will perform a selection of music ranging from Renaissance works to Bach to Celtic tunes. A free will offering will be taken to benefit Grace's Kitchen (a minimum $12 donation is encouraged). Plan to stay and meet the musicians at a reception to follow. Call 565-7865 for more information.

Winter Discovery Walk near Echo Basin open to families

Join San Juan Mountains Association on Saturday, Jan. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon for the fourth program in the Southwest Colorado Winter Ecology Series: a Winter Discovery Walk for Families in Echo Basin area, near Mancos. We will focus on animals in winter, as well as snow studies. Learn about tracks - is a snowshoe hare a bounder, waddler or galloper? And examine snowflakes - are there really no two snowflakes that are exactly alike? For ages 4-10, accompanied by an adult. Snowshoes are provided if needed. There is no charge for the Discovery Walks.

Meet at the end of plowed County Road 566, Mancos. Turn north on County Road 44 in Mancos, going toward Echo Basin. Travel about 3.5 miles, following CR 44 as it turns into CR 566. CR 566 will dead-end in a plowed parking area. Advance reservations are requested. Contact SJMA to register at gabi@sjma.org or 759-1170, or schedule your own Winter Discovery Walk at 759-1170 or gabi@sjma.org. Walks can take place on easy terrain near Cortez, Mancos, Dolores or Durango.

Facebook and social media marketing class at Dolores Public Library

Learn to keep up with the competition. A Facebook and social media marketing class is scheduled for Monday Jan. 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the Dolores Public Library. Teresa Howell of the Pony Expresso Coffee Shop, who has presented this class for other chambers, will be the instructor. This class is free for chamber members and $10 for non-chamber members. For more information, contact the Dolores Chamber at 882-4018 or doloreschamber@centurytel.net.

The Children's Kiva Annual Peace Walk set for Jan. 17

The Children's Kiva Montessori School invites all to join us for a peaceful walk around our local park, Parque de Vida to honor the life work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal" - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Please join us Thursday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. under the Parque de Vida Pavilion. We will walk around the park one time and gather in the front yard of The Children's Kiva for a moment of silence. Dr. Maria Montessori believed in the power of the child to make the world a better place. Through the child, the prospect of world peace is possible with education providing the pathway. For more information, please call 565-8586.

Dolores Chamber's Business After Hours

The Dolores Chamber invites the public to their first Business after Hours of 2013 on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market St. This will be a wonderful opportunity to have some great food and refreshments, network and develop working relationships with many businesses and individuals you may not usually have the opportunity to connect with. Everybody is invited - you do not have to be a chamber member to attend. For more information, contact the Dolores Chamber at 882-4018.

Free information session on radon gas

January is Radon Awareness Month, and Colorado State University Extension will present a free information session on radon. The class will be held on Friday, Jan. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Montezuma County Extension Office, 109 W. Main St., Room 102. You will learn what radon is, why we should care about it, and what to do with the information after you test your home. Due to the nature of the soil in this area, our homes are at higher risk to have elevated radon. If the radon level in your home is greater than 4 pCi/L, the EPA recommends mitigation. Radon is the number two cause of lung cancer (behind smoking and ahead of secondhand smoke). Please call ahead to make your reservation at 565-3123.

Baked Potato Bar lunch fundraiser for Cultural Center

Join the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market on Friday, Jan. 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a yummy Baked Potato Bar. Lunch for $5 includes a potato with all types of toppings and a beverage. Enjoying eating in the gallery surrounded by art or take out is also available. Advance tickets are available at the center Jan. 9. For more details, contact the center at 565-1151.

"Watershed" Movie Night screening and discussion

Dolores River Boating Advocates will host a free public screening of "Watershed" on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Dolores Library, 1002 Railroad Ave. A documentary film produced and narrated by Robert Redford, "Watershed" examines the increasing pressures on the Colorado River from growing population in the basin and a changing climate. Communities throughout the region are finding ways to conserve water and sustainably protect their economic base. A discussion will follow the film, focusing on how our community can do the same and enhance the health of the Dolores River. For more information, visit www.doloresriverboating.org or call 799-1475.

Montezuma Land Conservancy Wild and Scenic Film Festival

Montezuma Land Conservancy is proud to host the Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Friday, Jan. 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Dolores Community Center, 400 Riverside Dr. This year's festival showcases short films rethinking how we inhabit our planet, and so can you. The films combine stellar filmmaking, beautiful cinematography and first-rate storytelling with the theme of "A Climate of Change." The Wild and Scenic Film Festival will inform, inspire and ignite solutions, and create positive probabilities to restore the earth and human communities. Admission is $12 for adults, $5 for children, and includes nine short films, beverages including free beer (ID is required), and refreshments; all proceeds will benefit Montezuma Land Conservancy, the only non-profit land conservation organization focused on land protection in Southwest Colorado. For more information, please contact Montezuma Land Conservancy at 565-1664 or info@montezumaland.org.

M-CHS Theater Department's film noir-style 'Macbeth'

The Montezuma-Cortez High School Theater Department proudly presents Shakespeare's "Macbeth" at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25 and 26, and Friday and Saturday, Feb. 1 and 2, with a 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Feb. 2. The show at the high school auditorium will be performed in the style of film noir, classic black-and-white gangster movies of the 1940's. The language will remain Shakespearean, but the look is entirely black and white with lots of shadows, fog, and tommy-guns. The story follows a man who is foretold that he will become king. But when he decides to take matters into his own hands by killing the present king, his whole world begins to fall apart. Tickets will be $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, and kids under 5 are free. Visit us online at www.mchsdrama.org or call 565-3722 ext 2198 for reservations.

'Animal Tracks and Signs' hike at Mesa Verde

Learn how to discover what animals are out and about during the winter months at Mesa Verde National Park during the "Animal Tracks and Signs" hike at Morefield Campground from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 26. Hikers will learn how to look for and identify animal tracks and signs, and then explore the hillsides around Morefield Campground. Past animal tracks in the snow observed in the area include weasels, rabbits, mountain lions, mice, and coyotes. The hike is limited to 20 people, ages 7 to adult. Meet at the Morefield Village parking lot at Morefield Campground, 4 miles from the park entrance. Advance reservations are required; for reservations contact Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum at MVNP at 529-4631 or meve_education@nps.gov.

Rock Art Studies PAAC Class

Kevin Black, Assistant State Archaeologist, will teach a four-day class called Rock Art Studies the first weekend in February, and registration is open now. Beginning Friday, Feb. 1, the class will be from 4 to 7 p.m.; on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 2 and 3, we will meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Monday, Feb. 4, class will be from 4 to 7 p.m. This course provides a general overview of the field of rock art. We will learn about a variety of rock art recording techniques, current research in conservation and interpretation of rock imagery, and styles documented in Colorado. It will be of value to all those interested in broadening their knowledge of Colorado's cultural heritage. We will meet at the Anasazi Heritage Center just west of Dolores on Hwy. 184. The cost is $12 to cover the cost of the materials. Space is limited! For questions and to sign up, contact Terry at Terrywoodrow@gmail.com or 560-1318.

'Safe and Effective Strategies for Cleansing and Detox'

Amy Loschert, Naturopathic Doctor, will present "Cleansing and Flushing: Safe and Effective Strategies for Cleansing and Detoxification" at the T.O.N.I. (Toxins Out, Nutrients In) share session on Friday, Feb. 1, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Mesa/Canyon room at the Cortez Recreation Center. These sessions are free of charge and open to the public. Listen, learn and share on topics of health interest. For more information, contact Joe Keleher, TONI Coordinator, at 565-5448.

Happy Trails Sweetheart Ball

Wear your jeans and boots and come ready to party Western Style. The 7th Annual "Happy Trails Sweetheart Ball' to benefit the Cortez Cultural Center will be held Saturday, Feb. 2, at the Cortez Elks Lodge. Cocktails will be at 5 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m. A choice of rib eye steak or chicken Cordon Bleu is being offered. Live and silent auctions will run from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., followed by a star-studded live show "Grand Ol' Opry" style with dancing to follow. Tickets are $40 per person or $400 for a table of ten with your business name/family name or logo displayed. Tickets are available at the Cortez Cultural Center, 25 N. Market St. from through Jan. 26. For more information, contact the center at 565-7423.

SWMH Foundation Jewelry Sale Fundraiser

The Southwest Memorial Hospital Foundation will hold a jewelry sale to raise funds for their healthcare education scholarship program on Friday, Feb. 8 from noon to 6 p.m. in the hospital lobby, 1311 N. Mildred Road in Cortez. Vintage and gently used good-quality costume jewelry that has been donated by community members will be available for sale. Don't miss this opportunity to support the SWMH Foundation by buying a Valentine's Day gift or something nice for yourself. Donations for this event are still being accepted. Contact Susan Thomas at 739-3158 for more information about the sale or to donate jewelry.

Incredible Years parenting classes

The Pinon Project will offer a series of free parenting classes beginning Tuesday, Feb. 12, and lasting 14 weeks. The Incredible Years is a curriculum targeting parents of children 2 to 8 years of age and is proven effective. If you are looking for more effective ways to discipline and want to build a more positive relationship with your child, this is the program for you. Classes will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Pinon Project, 300 N. Elm St. Dinner and childcare are provided. To register, please contact Lara Blair at 564-1195. Space is limited, so sign up soon.

Classical Gas performs Cortez concert

Southwest Colorado Concerts presents Classical Gas, a concert with piano, violin and a whole lot of fun, on Thursday, March 7 at 7 p.m. in the Montezuma-Cortez High School auditorium. Pianist Rich Ridenour teams up with violinist/comedian Steve Brook for a show that is a little bit Jack Benny and a little bit Victor Borge as they perform great classics fueled by their own imaginations. Their program for the evening includes such great classics as "At the Old Ballgame," Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony" and "11 Finger Rag" by Dykstra. Don't miss this musically dazzling and funny show! Tickets will be on sale at the door beginning at 6:30 p.m.; single-concert tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for youth, 18 years-old and under. For more information, contact Paul Bostrom at 565-9127.